Anyone who knows me also knows that I love drinking cacao. I am not an expert. I have no idea if I am drinking cacao from criollo beans, trinitario or forastero beans. However, I do recognize a good cacao drink from a not-so-great one.
I've tried organic and non-organic, locally sourced and imported, handmade and processed and ceremonial and non-ceremonial. All very different in taste and texture.
Some were very good, and others were not so great. Thankfully, I had the great fortune of being in the right place at right time to sample the best cacao EVER! This ‘perfect’ cacao comes from the Mayans in Guatemala, sold as ceremonial grade cacao, which is ethically sourced and grown using regenerative and biodiverse farming practices.
Ceremonial Grade Cacao
Cacao is said to have a feminine energy and for this readon it is only farmed and prepared by indigenous women. Ceremonies are done when the seeds are planted, flowered and harvested. Before entering a cacao plantation, the farmers are cleansed with sage, so not to pass on any negative energy. No metal is used in the hand-making process - it has a masculine energy and is believed to cut through the feminine energy.
The cacao workshop sits in nature in a location surround by Mayan altars,. The cacao is cleansed with incense and other elements, and traditional Mayan music is played during the preparation process. It is sun-dried. Most importantly it is grown where there are jade deposits.
Jade
Jade represents life, nature, abundance, and fertility. It has incredible spiritual benefits and is associated with eternity because of its strength and durability and will therefore transcend time.
Cacao Workshops
This ceremonial cacao adds a unique element and sacredness to the work Dream Awake do. In our ceremonies we hold a safe, sacred space using cacao as a tool to drop into one's inner wisdom, and to open the heart chakra to activate empathy. Cacao sets the foundation for sacred ritual, movement, breath-work and shamanic journeying. Each of these practices, share a similar quality, which is to support an individual to drop away from the chattering mind and to expand into awareness.
Cath is co-founder of Dream Awake with her sister Fin Walker. They run workshops, guiding individuals on a journey to reconnect and remember who they are. By stepping into their true essence, they dream their world into being. Their next workshop is on 18th February in Cheltenham.
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